InspectionsA roofer's look at an aging roof in Colonia

Roof Inspection in Colonia, NJ

Roof inspection in Colonia for a roof whose age or condition you cannot judge from the lawn.

Call (732) 568-2812 with the street and, if you know it, the roof's age, and the contractor sets up the look.

Call (732) 568-2812

Roofer crouched on a low-pitched roof making notes on worn shingles

Leave it and get help if

A ceiling sags, bulges or drips where a fixture hangs: vacate the room, and call 911 if the ceiling gives way.
A wire has dropped onto the roof, the yard or a branch: treat it as live, keep well away, and call 911 and the electric company.
The roof is wet, frosty or steep and you want a closer look: stay on the ground; a roofer can check it when it is dry.
A power line passes near the roof edge: NIOSH puts the safe distance at ten feet or more, so keep to the ground and call the electric company.

Four questions before a roofer climbs up

Is the attic part of the look?
The roof boards show from below what the shingles hide from above.
Will there be photographs, and will you get them?
Pictures of each slope give you a record to compare against next year.
Is anything being opened or lifted, and who puts it back?
A roofer who lifts a shingle course to read the nails below ought to mention it first.
Will the findings come in writing?
A short list of what is sound, what is wearing and what is urgent is easier to compare than a memory.

What changes how long a roof look takes

Roof size and the number of slopes come first, then pitch and how easily a ladder reaches each edge. Flat sections, skylights and a chimney each add a place to read flashing. A reachable attic hatch lets the roofer see the underside; a sealed attic does not.

No figures belong on this page. Ask the roofer to describe what the visit covers, so two descriptions can be compared.

What it looks like

A roof so old that no one can say when it went on
Grit collecting in the gutters or at the downspout outlets
A neighbor's roof was replaced after a storm and yours is the same age
A new stain, a musty attic or matted insulation with no visible hole
A storm of wind or snow has passed and you would like to know what it left behind

The clipboard on the roof

In the picture a roofer crouches beside a run of shingles with worn, faded spots and writes down what the surface shows. That list is the product of an inspection: which slopes are sound, where shingles are curling or cracking, and which spots deserve a closer look.

Staying low on a dry roof matters. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, over 100 people a year die in the U.S. from falls off ladders.

What a roofer can look at

Call (732) 568-2812

Call (732) 568-2812, mention the street, the roof's age and what prompted the request, and the contractor arranges the visit.
Reading each slope for curling, cracking, lost grit and missing shingles.
Looking at flashing, vents, skylights and the chimney for gaps.
Checking gutters, downspouts and the fascia behind them.
Looking from the attic side for daylight, stains and damp insulation.
Giving a plain summary: what is sound, what is wearing, and what a repair or a replacement would involve.

Asked at the door

How urgent is an inspection if nothing leaks?

A sagging ceiling or a wire down comes first: leave and call 911. A fresh stain or wet insulation deserves a call: dial (732) 568-2812 this week. If nothing leaks and the roof is just old, the look can wait for a dry stretch, and dated photos taken now show later whether anything changed.

Why does a roofer ask how old the house is?

Age hints at what is under the shingles. The Census median for Colonia is 1959, give or take 2 years. The Department of Energy's brief says homes built before 1978 may contain lead paint. It adds that homes older than 1977 may have asbestos in roofing and insulation, so the year shapes how the work is handled.

Can an Iselin or Edison house be inspected too?

Yes. The Iselin page and the Edison page share the line with Colonia. Their medians are 1959 and 1975. Tell the roofer the street, the roof's age and what you have noticed, then call (732) 568-2812.

What a moisture meter reads in a wet roof

The Department of Energy's brief gives drying targets: wood is not covered until it reads below 20 percent moisture, and drywall or plaster has to reach under 2 percent by an electric meter.
It also says plywood and OSB can peel or fall apart as they dry, so they get a close look; ceiling drywall is kept only if it was wet by clean rainwater and is not sagging or mildewing; and soaked fiberglass or cellulose insulation comes out.

Looks you can take

Walk around the house and look up at each slope, noting curled, cracked or missing shingles and any slope that looks unlike the rest.
Check each gutter and downspout for sagging, loose ends and splash marks on the siding.
From the attic hatch with a flashlight, look for daylight, dark streaks, damp insulation and a musty smell.
Gather the paperwork: purchase records, any re-roof invoice and photos from earlier storms.

Does looking lead to paperwork?

A look produces a list of options, and whether any option needs paperwork depends on the job and the office. In the state's 2018 notice, roof-covering repair and replacement count as ordinary maintenance for one- and two-family homes that share no wall with another building. Edison words roofing differently, and Papers to ask for explains the difference.

Storm damageStorm DamageWind, fallen limbs and tarped holes near Colonia

Notes from the sources

Checked 1 Nov 2026

Calling in

Jot down the address, how old you think the roof is and what you can see from the lawn. Then call (732) 568-2812. In a rental, the landlord or the property manager is who you phone first. Calls cover Colonia, Iselin and Edison.

Call (732) 568-2812

Colonia street of ranch homes under big oaks